Lamentations of a Past Life
by Hunjess
Summary: Follow young Alex Costello in their life before the events of "A Maids Tale"
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Author's Note:**

**Hello. I decided to make a little prequel for my other story "A Maids Tale". Hope you like it. **

When you are young you do not get to choose your life. It is not what you make it. It is madness.

I have grown up in this life. This life of servitude.

My parents died when I was 5 years old. I do not remember much about them. I remember we had a nice house. I do not have anything to remember them by. There was a fire at our home. I somehow managed to get out. My parents were not so lucky.

I went into training when I was 6 after I was on the streets for a while. A man had found me and brought me to school. He is still there. We are really good friends. In the Academy they teach servitude and everything to do with it. I was one of the top people in my classes.

I started working when I was 12. I have not stayed with a family more than a year. There was always something. I did not quite fit with any of the homes.

I have been working for a few different families now throughout the years. I am almost 17 now. The current household that I work for is called "Walters". Misses and Mister Walter have 3 beautiful children, 2 boys and one girl. The kids love me. The boys are twins at the age of 8 and the girl is 6.

Thave a beautiful large house on the outside. On the inside… it is beautiful but it holds many secrets. Many stories. Many dark places.

My attention is brought back to my task at hand. I am cleaning the children's playroom. There are toys scattered across the floor. Clothes all over the place. When their parents are away I get to play with them and keep them company. The kids are in their rooms asleep and their parents should be home later this evening. They went out on a date.

I pick up some of the stuffed animals and put them into the little chest beside the window. I have the lights off but the moon is full and illuminating the room.

My mind wanders as I keep doing my task. I start to make a mental list of left over tasks I have to do before I can go back to my room.

_I have to finish this room and then clean up the kitchen since I made the kids dinner. I should have enough time before they get home. _A loud bang interrupts my thoughts. _That came from downstairs. _

I walk out of the room and pass by the kid's room to see if the sound woke them up. They are all three asleep. It took me about 30 minutes to get them to finally go to sleep. I want them to stay that way. I can hear the sound of Master Walters yelling something. From what I can hear it sounds like he is drunk.

Making my way downstairs I hear his voice even louder. He is red in the face yelling at Mistress Walters. She has her back to me. Master's eyes meet mine as I take the last step down the stairs to the floor.

"What are you looking at freak?" His voice growls. I do not say anything as I walk past.

_Keep quiet. This is not your place. _There is a quick movement and I am stopped in my tracks. There is a sharp pressure on my arm.

"Where do you think you are going? Are you making fun of me?" Master Walter questions with poison in his tone. His hand is gripped into my arm. His nails digging into that arm. I keep quiet but he grips harder.

"The children are in bed asleep. I am going to clean up a few things in the kitchen." I slowly let out in a cautious tone.

"Please. Leave her alone. She has done nothing wrong." Mistress says with a pleading tone. That was her mistake. I look her in the eyes. The pressure goes away on my arm. There is a loud smacking sound. Master's hand is raised and her face is red.

"You do not defend the servants." He starts to move his hand to hit her again. I move quickly and push my way between the two. Master Walters is a foot taller than me and Mistress is only a few inches taller.

"Master. If you will please keep it down. The children are asleep. You do not want them to see you like this." I suggest and can hear her breath starting to catch. He glares at me but grumbles and walks away. _I will probably get yelled at later…_

"Th-thank you Alexandria you are so kind." Her shaky voice comes from behind me. I turn to her with a smile.

"I am just doing my job mistress. Come with me to the kitchen and I will make you some tea." I say and lead her to the kitchen. I start up the stove and put a black kettle on the stove.

"I do not want you to get hurt." She trails off as she takes a seat on one of the stools.

"It is alright mistress. I hope that you are okay." I turn to the cupboards and look through them. I find some tea leaves and pull them down.

After a few minutes of silence I pour her and me some water into the cups. Not long later the teas are ready and I set the cup in front of her. She is young as compared to Master Walters. I believe only a few years older than I am.

"You know…" She rubs the side of her cup in thought. "You know I never wanted to get married." She quietly says after silence. I raise the cup to my lips and watch her.

"What do you mean Mistress?" I question and take a sip. _Was she forced into this marriage?_

"My parents were not that wealthy so they arranged this marriage… I was as old as you are now…" She slowly takes a sip of her tea in comfort.

"I am sorry to hear that Mistress." I add in comfort and sip my own tea. Her face is getting a little red from where he hit her.

"I also did not want to get married for another reason…" She trails off in thought. I do not push her this time. I just smile comfortingly. She looks up from her cup and at me. "Thank you for this Alexandria. You are always so kind." She shows a small smile.

"It is my job to take care of you." I smile back and finish my tea. Walking over to the sink I start to wash the dishes from dinner.

"Sometimes I wish the world was different. Where we could choose to be with who we want." She says with a sigh and walks up beside me. She takes some of the washed dishes and wipes them with a towel. I say nothing and nod.

_I wish I could be myself… I wish…_ I keep cleaning and place the washed plates in the sink beside me. I can feel my hand brush hers. My heart skips a beat. _I wish I did not grow up in this life. _I glance over at her. I can see pink creep up in her cheeks.

"I…" She glances over at me. "I should get going." She quickly says and leaves the room.

I finish up my job and make my way to my room. It is a small room with only a bed. No window. Nothing. There is a clock to keep track of the time. I do not need much because I do not have much.

I take a deep breath and lay down on the bed. _I hope she is going to be okay… I hope she does not get hurt. _

Closing my eyes I can feel myself drift off to sleep. Thoughts of a better life come into my mind. In my dreams I see people that I have met over the years. Some good memories some bad. They surround me. I search frantically for the faces of my parents. But I do not see them. I have not seen them for a while now. It pains me a lot. I cannot remember their faces at all.

I struggle while walking through the crowd. They are all looking at me. They are judging me. I can feel it.

_They know. They know that I am different._

Soft, whispery voices swirl around me. "Freak" … "Outcast" … "Does not belong" … "You are a girl"

Anxiety wells up in my chest. My heart is pounding faster and faster as I push through the crowd. Hands reach out to grab at me, but their hands pass through me like mist.

Then… then there are some people that I do not remember seeing. It is a small group of people. Three young men and a woman. They all look very similar. Almost like they are related. But I cannot see their faces.

The voices stop. The crowd seems to disappear. The group in front of me seem to be talking to themselves.

I watch them curiously. They seem happy. Bright light emanates off of them. No. One of them. He seems to be holding something. I cannot quite make it out.

Suddenly their attention is brought to me. Something does not feel right. The light is replaced by darkness spewing off of them. Loud ringing fills my ears.

Pain. Anxiety. Sadness. Anger. All these emotions wash over me. I fall to the floor and grip the sides of my head. My heart starts pounding loudly in my ears. Pain emmits from my chest. It feels like my heart is going to explode.

The ground beneath me cracks and falls away. I am falling. Falling through the darkness. It is completely enveloping me.

"No!" Sitting up in my bed the scene suddenly disappears and I am back in my room. My hand is over my chest gripping my nightgown. Looking down at my lap I try to make sense of what just happened. But the more I try to think about it, the dream just seems to slip away. I get my heart to calm back down and slowly lower my hand.

_That was such a strange dream… _I wonder to myself and look around the room. The clock reads that it is 5 am. That means it is time to get up and prepare breakfast.

I stand up off the bed and get changed into my servant's outfit. Which is nice because the top part is more of a suit whereas the bottom is still a dress that goes down to my ankles. I gently tie the black bow around my neck and look at myself in the mirror. My hair is halfway down my back.

_I need to cut it at some point… _I think absently and straighten out my dress. I smile a little at my reflection and walk away.

I spend the next hour preparing breakfast for Master and Mistress. I make them fried eggs on an english muffin with a side of sausage. For the kids I am waiting because they do not wake up till around 7 or 8.

I grab the tray and slowly walk up the stairs being careful not let anything spill. On the last step I am met by a chest. Looking up Master Walters is standing there.

"Good morning sir. I have brought you breakfast. There is no-" With a quick movement he smacks the tray of food out of my hands. It goes stumbling down the stairs. My eyes go wide.

"You." He grabs me by the neck and slams my back into the wall with such force. The impact almost makes my vision go completely black, but I manage to keep my eyes open. "You are putting thoughts into my wife's head. Bad thoughts. Thoughts of leaving me. Thoughts of being with you." He spits out the last word and tightens his grip.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" I manage to choke out as I gasp for air. My feet are off the ground dangling. I try to hit at his arm to free me. His stares gets even more fierce. Moments before it feels like I am about to pass out he throws me back down the stairs. I hear a sickening crack and pain in my sides.

The last thing I see before my vision goes dark is him coming down the stairs. The sound of the front door opening is the last thing I hear.

**Hope you enjoyed Chapter 1. This will be a shorter series than "A Maids Tale".**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Author's Note: Welcome back. Like I said this was going to be a shorter series. I hope you enjoy. **

My body aches. I am in pain. But all I see is darkness.

I do not know how long I have been here. I can hear faint, far away voices around me. I do not know where I am...

_I have to get up. _Fighting and pushing through the pain the darkness light envelops my vision. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust. Everything is blurry for a few seconds. I am laying on a bed next to a window. There is some kind of writing on the wall in front of me. Straining to turn my head I see a figure hunched over in a chair beside where I am laying. He has blonde hair and pale skin. I smile to myself. I know who it is. He is the man who saved me all those years ago and brought me here. He is the man who has stood by my side since then.

"H-hey Ian." I manage to choke out. My voice is soft and hoarse. I am not sure if he even heard me. His head shoots up and smiles. His bright brown eyes seem to sparkle.

"Alex! You are awake. I will let the others know." He stands up quickly and leaves the room. I now know where I am. I am in the infirmary at the Academy. I am not sure how I got here though.

_Others? And how did I get here?_ I wonder and look down at my body. I am wearing a medical dress. I can feel something tight wrapped around my chest and down to the top of my stomach. My right arm is in a cast. Any open skin seems to be purple and blue. _What happened… Mister Walters…_

"You're awake!" The sound of Mistress Walter's voice rings from the doorway.

"Alex!" The sound of the kids are behind her. I look over and watch as they push past her. They are now all in the room. Ian is no where to be seen.

"I am so glad you are okay." Mistress says and gently puts her hand on my non casted hand. The kids are bouncing up and down.

"What is going on? What happened? How did I get here?" I manage to get out. My mouth is dry, so it makes it hard to talk.

"Kids why don't you go find the nice doctor and see if he can bring Alexandra some food and water?" Mistress asks the kids. They seem to be reluctant at first but run off. Once they are out of the room she turns to me. I hear the sound of the door opening briefly. "He… he hurt you badly. It is my fault… I should not have said anything…" I gently smile at her.

"No. It is not your fault. You were speaking your mind." She manages to smile back.

"If it was not for your friend then you would be a lot worse…" She trails off as Ian walks up beside me. I look over at him.

"You saved me?" I question and he nods. "Looks like I owe you again." I laugh a little.

"I would not dream of it." Ian places a hand on my shoulder. A wave of calm and ease seems to pass through me. Almost like the pain washes away. The door opens and a man with black hair and brown eyes walks in. The kids follow behind him.

"Glad to see that you are awake Alex. How do you feel?" The man questions. The doctor is Cameron. He is Ian's twin brother. He has black hair instead and brown eyes. He has a little bit of a black stubble around his chin starting to come in.

"Like I got hit by a train." I say with a small laugh. The kids run up beside me and watch me intently.

"Well you fell pretty hard. You are lucky to be alive. You dislocated your shoulder and broke your wrist. On top of that you have multiple broken ribs. You have to be more careful." Cameron warns as he walks up to the bags hanging beside me that have medicine in it. He glances over at Ian briefly and then back to the bags.

"How long till you think I can work again?" I question and slowly manage to sit myself up.

"It will be at least a month. But that depends on you." Cameron says as he looks over a clipboard.

"Why don't you just come and live with us?" The girl questions and jumps up and down.

"Yeah! It would be a lot of fun!" One of the twins adds. I look over at my ex Mistress.

"I… I cannot. I am sorry. This is my home. This is my life. All I know is this." I look down at my lap.

"Alexandra…" She begins but stops.

"Two women living together alone with three kids… It would not be smart." I look up at her again. "The Academy will help you get back on your feet I am sure of it. But for me I have to keep working. I am sorry." I look over at the kids. "I will visit when I can." I smile softly.

"I understand… You are always welcome at our place." She gently puts her hand on my good hand again. I close my eyes for a second enjoying the feeling.

The rest of the day passes by quickly. Doctor Cameron runs more tests on me which I do not quite understand. The pain gets worse then better as the medicine was given to me.

That night I find myself unable to stay asleep. The pain keeps me up. The memory… the nightmare… they keep me up. I look up at the ceiling tiles in my room. The lights are off but there is a full moon so the pale light fills the room. The only sound I can hear is the faint noises outside of the room. As I am looking up at the ceiling I hear the sound of two sets of footsteps come up to my door and stop.

"I should have been faster… I knew it was going to happen." The sound of Ian's soft voice comes from outside the door.

"I know brother, but we are not allowed to intervene." The voice of Doctor Cameron quietly adds.

"But you are allowed to use your experience?"

"If I had not then they would have died. This time period does not have the best of medicine."

_Did I hear that right? Maybe I am just hearing things…_

"I know Cam…" I can hear a soft sigh. "But if I was there I could have stopped it."

"Some events are meant to happen and you know that. You did what you could." There is a pause between them. "Get some rest." Cam adds and there is a sound of footsteps walking away. The sound of the door turning makes my eyes shut. The light sound of footsteps enters my room. I can feel him standing over me. Oddly… I cannot hear breathing.

_I must be dreaming. _I slowly open my eyes just enough to see. Doctor Cameron is standing there. His tall dark form contrasts to the pale white light. He is looking at the clipboard His dark brown eyes seem to almost glow in the darkness. It almost looks… red.

"Did I wake you?" His smooth voice questions. He sets down the clipboard and looks at me.

"No. Sorry. I was awake." I slowly manage to pull myself up into a seated position. "I couldn't sleep." I admit and watch him.

"The pain?" He asks and makes a note on the paper.

"Kind of. But…" I look to the side away from him. _I should not ask about what I heard. _

"Bad dreams?" He gently asks and sets the clipboard down. I slowly nod and look down at my bruised arm. "I can give you something to help you sleep if you want."

"I shouldn't…"

"Sleep will help. I promise." He pulls something out of his pocket and sets it on the small table beside me. He walks to the sink and the sound of water running fills my ears.

"Okay." I slowly take the pill off of the table. Cameron walks back up to me and hands me a glass of water. "Thank you." I take the glass and slowly take the medicine.

"I have a personal question for you, Alex." Cameron takes the water back from me and sets it to the side.

"What is it?"

"What do you think of my brother?" He sits down next to me in the chair.

_Where did this come from? _"He is a great friend. He has helped me a lot." I say with a small smile. "I owe him my life." I close my eyes. _I wonder when this medicine will start working. _I hear a small chuckle come from him.

"Okay," he pauses and stands up, "get some rest. Let me know how you feel in the morning." I can feel something touch my arm for a second. Opening my eyes I am alone again. Almost immediately I start to fall asleep.

Around a week passes and I am able to walk around again. The smaller Walters family are on their own and living in an apartment in the city. I am so proud of them all.

_I am going to miss them. All of them. _I am laying on the bed looking out the window. The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day. _Wish I could go outside. I have been cooped up in here for a week. _As if on cue the door opens. I turn my head and look over. Ian walks in wearing black pants and a whit button up.

"Good morning. Cameron wanted me to check on you." He walks up beside the bed and picks up the clipboard. He looks over it and marks a few things on it. I pull myself up into a seated position.

"Are you qualified for this?" I question with a small smile. He glances at me from the top of the clipboard.

"Technically yes but practically no." He smiles and gives me a wink. "Now," he sets the clipboard down, "today we are going on an adventure." Bringing a wheelchair over next to him he holds out his hand.

"Where are we going?" I question as I move my legs over the side of the bed. I wince at the dull pain in my side. Ian takes my good arm and helps me into the wheelchair.

"We are going outside for a little while. Thought you might like the change of scenery." He stands behind me and pushes me out the door gently.

"Thank you. You are the best." We go down the hallway and to the elevator. Not long later we are outside in the sun. The sky is a bright blue with not a cloud in sight. The weather is beautiful and very warm but not uncomfortable.

"I have been looking for a new job for you." Ian comments as he pushes me down the path. There is a group of students who walk past us. I wave gently and smile.

"Oh? Have you found anything yet?" I question as we keep going. There is a pause from him until we stop beside a small lake.

"Yes. He is a newer person, but he has had a lot of workers who have quit. No one really says why." He locks the chair inplace and sits down on the bench beside me.

"Well… it is worth trying. I am running out of options." I look down at my hands. I have another week before I can officially start working.

"I will contact him and let him know if you want. Once you are better you can do an interview." There is something in his voice. Almost like he knows something.

"Is something wrong? Do you know something?" My mind wanders back to the conversation between him and his brother I heard. _Does he know something?_

"No. Nothing's wrong. I just always worry about you." He looks over at me. Something seems hidden in his eyes.

"Do not worry about me. That will make you age more." I say with a small laugh. He says nothing and keeps looking out at the lake. _I wonder what this new house holds?_

**Hope you liked Chapter 2. Chapter 3 is going to be the last one. Keep an eye out on my Instagram hunjess96 for updates. I also plan on working on another story that is not this series related. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**

**Welcome to the last chapter. I have been looking forward to this for a long time. I hope you enjoy. **

**Side note: waaaaaah?! Me finishing a story?**

Another week passes by slowly as my body keeps healing. Most of the visible bruises are gone and my arm is no longer in a cast. My ribs are still broken and wrapped.

_But it is time. It is time for me to move forward. It is time for me to get a new job. _I think to myself as I look over my body. I am wearing a plain white dress. The typical uniform of the academy. _I hope I get this job… if I don't I am going to have to move to a new town._ My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a knock at my door. I step out of the bathroom into the hospital room. The door opens a few seconds later revealing Ian.

"Are you ready to go?" Ian questions as he steps into the room. He is wearing his usual black pants and white button up shirt with a black vest.

"I suppose so…" I trail off and walk away from the mirror.

"Are you okay Alex?" He questions as he opens the door. I walk out the door and look around. There are a few people in the hallway. A lot of Academy students learning about first aid are in the next hallway.

"Just nervous I suppose. I…" I pause until we make it to the elevator, "I just really need this job." Ian closes the gate in front of us. Within seconds the elevator starts to move.

"I have a good feeling about this place. I am sure you will do great." He gently puts his hand on my shoulder. I look up at him with a small smile.

"Thank you." We make our way to the small garage. Not long later we are on the road. _I do not usually get to be on the roads… _Ian keeps driving. He makes a turn and we head out of the main town. More and more trees appear on the sides of us.

After about 30 minutes we stop in front of a house. More like a mansion. It is huge with a beautiful dark wood exterior. The front gate was already open like it was waiting for us. There is a small pond in front of the front entryway. Bushes line the front wall. Whoever this groundskeeper keeper is does their job very well.

"This is it." I take a deep breath and open the door. Stepping out of the car I stare at the entrance.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ian questions from the driver's seat.

"No. I will be fine…" I close the door and walk around the front of the car. _I can do this. Why am I so nervous?_ I stop in front of the door and with a shaky hand I knock on the beautiful door. There is a slight pain in my side from the movement. _I am not fully healed, but I must not let it show… I wonder what this man is like? Ian did not tell me much information. I do not even know his name. I wonder why. I wonder why this place has not kept any workers for very long? _

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of footsteps stumbling on the inside. I see a figure walk up to the door. I cannot make out any features. The door opens revealing a man in a red robe that is loosely draped around his skinny body. The man has short but messy black hair. His pale chest is revealed. Looking up I see he has a light stubble on his chin as if he had not had time to shave. His dark brown eyes are squinting at me. Underneath his eyes are dark circles as if he had not slept well the night before. The most astonishing thing is that he is young and very beautiful. Maybe a year older than I am.

"Can I help you?" He is leaning heavily on the doorframe. He puts his other hand on his forehead as if he has a headache. The light smell of alcohol comes off of him.

"Ah yes. Sir, I am Alexandra Costello. I am from the Academy of Servitude. I am here about a job opportunity." I bow lightly and then straighten up. _He is so young… I have a feeling I know why… his parents must have died and he inherited this when he turned 18. The strain must be hard on him. _

"Why should I hire you? Everyone leaves this place anyways. Just save yourself the trouble and leave now." He starts to close the door. I feel my heart sink.

_No. I have to try._ "Please sir. Please give me a chance." I beg before the door is about to close. It stops meer inches away from closing. _I need this job. _The door opens back up.

"Fine. I will give you five minutes." He sounds agitated but it must be from his headache. He looks me up and down inspecting me. I do not move an inch. I am used to being inspected.

"Sir, if you will allow it, I can help with your headache. I am quite skilled at hot tea preparation." I suggest once he is done looking at me up and down. He grumbles as he motions for me to step inside.

As I walk inside the beautiful entryway I am immediately surrounded by warmth. It feels… it feels almost familiar. There are multiple hallways leading to other parts of the house. Directly in front of us is a round table with a vase on it. There are no flowers occupying it yet. Near the back is a staircase that leads up to the second floor. There is a walkway with a railing there. The house so far is absolutely beautiful. The door closes behind me and the man walks up past me.

The man says something as I start to walk towards the hallway to the right. I cannot quite make it out for some reason, but I keep going. I can hear his footsteps behind me as I walk into the kitchen. The man keeps quiet but I can feel his eyes on me.

The kitchen is just as beautiful as the rest of the house. It has that same dark wood cabinets with a black stove. There is an island in the middle with what looks like white granite countertops. As I walk around the island I gently drag my index finger along the counter.

Walking up to one of the cabinets I open the door and am met by a few tea sets and a kettle. I pull down a white China tea pot and two matching cups. Then the black kettle. Within a few more seconds I have the kettle on the stove and starting to heat up. After a little searching I find a few types of tea and spoon a few leaves into the teapot. I look up and am met by the man staring intently at me with wide eyes.

"Is everything alright sir?" I ask and stay on my side of the island. He is sitting on a barstool across from me.

"Yes… What did you say your name was again?" Any irritation that he had before seems to be gone.

_That is a good sign. _"My name is Alexandra, sir. And I apologize. My mentor did not mention your name."

"My name is Mark." He keeps looking at me and then glances at the stove where the kettle is heating up. "How did you do that?"

"I am not sure what you mean?" _He surely must not be talking about making tea._ The kettle begins to steam and make a high pitched noise. I walk over and pour the water gently into the teapot.

"Nothing… tell me about yourself Alexandra." He leans forward so his elbows are now resting on the island. "How long have you been a maid?" I set the teapot between us and walk to the small refrigerator. I pull out a glass of milk and set it beside the pot.

"I started at the school when I was 6 and then started working when I was 12, sir. I am very well trained." Within a few more minutes the tea is ready to be poured. I put the tea into the cups and put a little milk in both of our cups.

"How many other places have you worked?" Mark questions as I put back up the milk.

"I have worked for six other families." I say as I walk back to in front of him. He slowly picks up his cup and takes a sip. I see a faint smile cross his lips but disappears almost immediately.

"Why so many? You are still very young." He questions and keeps the cup in his hands. I rub my finger along the side of the cup.

"... I," after a long pause I am finally able to speak again, "I never really fit with the other families." I look into my cup. _Because of how different I am. _I slowly take a sip and then look back at him. He nods slowly.

"What do your parents do? Do they know about your job?" His intense eyes keep looking at me.

"My parents," I take another sip as I pause, "they died when I was five sir. I lived on the streets till I was six. That was when the Academy found me." Something seems to change when I say this. _My thoughts must have been correct._

"I am sorry for your loss." He quietly says as he takes his eyes off of me and looks into his own cup.

"And I am sorry for yours as well." I watch him as he looks up at me.

"How did you…" He begins but stops and nods. "You are very smart. Why do you work as a maid?"

"This is the only life that I know." I take another sip. Mark's entire body seems to be more relaxed now. He nods and sips at the tea.

"Well… I believe I have made a decision." He finishes his cup so I refill it for him.

"And that is sir?" I finish my own and do the same.

"I knew the moment you walked into this kitchen. I want you to work here. How early can you begin?" He questions and leans back a little.

"I can start immediately." I smile. It feels like a rock has been lifted off my shoulders. "How did you decide so quickly? If I may ask sir."

"You immediately walked into the kitchen with no problems and were able to navigate with ease." He looks around the kitchen. "People that worked for me for weeks could not even find the kitchen." We spend the next few minutes finishing up our tea together. "Do you know how to cook?"

"A little. It is not my specialty though sir." I admit and clean the dishes.

"I will be looking for a chef in a week or so. I currently do not have any more workers here. You will be working non stop for a while." He stands up and walks up next to me.

"That is alright sir." I say with a smile and turn to him. "Thank you so much for this. I need to let my mentor know to go back." _I almost forgot that he is still outside. _Mark nods and follows me as I walk back to the front entrance and back outside to the car. Ian opens the door as I tell him that I have the job.

"That is great Alex. I told you not to worry." He pulls me into a hug. I hug him back. Something feels different. Ian does not seem to want to let me go. "Just be careful okay Alex." I nod and can feel Mark watching us from the doorway even though my back is to him. Ian presses his lips to my forehead and slowly lets me go. "And don't forget about me."

"I will be fine. You always worry too much. And I could never forget you." I walk back to Mark and wave as Ian leaves.

"I will give you a tour of the house now. Then I will let you look at the uniform I have," he pauses as we walk back inside, "Alex." I jump slightly and glance at him as he says my other name. "Is it alright to call you that? I heard your friend call you that."

"Y-yes sir. Although none of my masters have called me that before. They say it is too masculine. Usually only the children do." I look down at my hands.

"Well I like the name. It suits you." I see another light smile cross his lips.

We spend the next hour walking around the giant house. The upstairs portion is where his bedroom and guest rooms are. He also has his study up there as well. Turns out he is an actor so he mainly stays home until he can get another role. The downstairs is where the living room is and a beautiful fireplace. Outside there is a pool and a stone hot tub. Even farther down the path is what looks like a golf course. Back inside he shows me the wine cellar and where the servant quarters are. He leads me to where I will be staying.

"I am sorry it is not that large." Mark begins but I hold up my hand.

"It is more than enough. Thank you." I smile and touch the small bed in the corner. He leaves for a minute and comes back with a black and white dress.

"I hope this fits alright." I take the dress from him and hold it up against me.

"It looks like it will. Thank you." I look it over as he walks outside to let me try it on. It fits perfectly as if it was made for me. I look around the room and see a small wardrobe. I open the wardrobe and there is a black butler suit hanging from the hanger. I change back into the simple white dress and pull out the suit gently. _I wish I could wear this…_

"You can wear that if you want to." Mark's voice comes from behind me. I jump and turn to face him. He is changed out of his red robe. He is wearing a black shirt and blue pants. He also has dark rimmed glasses.

"S-sir. I cannot." I hold out the hanger to him and he shakes his head. Gently pushing it back to me he adds,

"No. I want you to be comfortable." He says with a kind and calm voice. All signs of his previous predicament are gone.

"Th-thank you so much sir. No one has ever let me wear a butler uniform." I set it down on the bed and feel a sharp pain in my side. I press my hand gently where the pain is coming from.

"Are you alright Alex?" The concern in his voice makes me question why people leave this place.

"Just an old injury. It is still healing. I will be fine." I look over at him. There is concern in his eyes. "No need to worry."

"Okay… if you are sure." I nod and sit down on the bed. "Take the rest of the day off and get settled in. I have some old friends coming over. All I ask is that you stay hidden."

"I will sir. Thank you again. Thank you for everything." I gently touch the suit that is beside me. "Are you sure it is okay?" I question and look back at him.

"Of course. I know it is hard to play a role that you do not want to."

"But it is… it is different. Other people call it unnatural…" I trail off remembering what old bosses would yell at me. I close my eyes and shake my head to get rid of the yelling. His hand appears on my shoulder and I open my eyes.

"If everyone was the same then the world would be a dull place. The main two things I want you to do is be honest to me and be honest to yourself." He sits down beside me. "I know what it is like to be different…" He trails off as well.

We sit there together in silence for a few minutes.

_Be honest with myself…_

"I need to get going. My friends should be here shortly." Mark stands up and brushes his pants off with his hands. He walks to the doorway and stops. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable here. If there is anything you want or need you let me know." He keeps walking. I hear his footsteps walk up the stairs.

_This is going to be a good place to work. I can finally do what I want. Even if I do not understand it…_ I lay down on the bed and close my eyes. I find myself drifting off to sleep within a few minutes.

"You seem to be in a good mood Mark. Is everything okay?" A male voice fills my ears. It is a smooth and beautiful voice. I sit up in bed and look around the room. It is dark and no one is there.

_Maybe sound travels easily through the house. I think that might be his friend. _I stay laying on the bed and look up at the ceiling.

"Yes. I noticed that as well. Are you seeing someone?" Another male voice questions. This one is a little higher pitched and has a strange accent to it.

"No no. It is not like that…" Mark begins. He sounds almost flustered.

"Then what is it that has gotten you in this mood? We have not seen you like this for months." The first voice says. He sounds beautiful. There is a long pause. The light sound of poker chips clattering against each other rings out.

"I have a new worker here. They seem to be a good fit." My heart skips a beat at the sound of the word they. "I am just happy to finally have someone who might be able to stay."

"Well where are they?" The second male voice asks.

"Yes. I would like to meet them." The first voice adds.

_What is this feeling? Why am I so happy?_

"I just hired them today. I am letting them rest. Plus…" Mark pauses as if in thought. "I think they were abused by their previous boss. I saw a lot of faint bruises on them."

"That is terrible… why would someone do that?" The beautiful voice questions. The concern in his voice makes my heart skip a beat.

"I do not know. I would never hurt them." They keep talking but it is harder to hear them now.

_This is going to be an interesting new life._ I close my eyes again and feel myself drifting off again.

**Thank you for reading this shorter story. If this is the first time you are reading about Alex go check out "A Maids Tale". Their story is not over. **


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